Feather

Rémi Courgeon | Translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

Feather is about a musical girl who is also tenacious, tough, and a real fighter. Living in a household consisting of her father and three brothers, Feather often gets the short end of the stick, meaning the laundry, cooking, and grocery shopping. One afternoon, she gets a black eye and all her plans change. This is a great book about being a girl, taking charge, and realizing your dreams!

RémiCourgeon was born in Choisy-le-Roi, near Paris. He studied art at the École Estienne. He works as a children's book illustrator and painter, and has had exhibitions at home and abroad. He also works in advertising.

A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2017

"With its bold colors and vivacious lines, Courgeon’s stylish, poster-like art is full of small, exquisite details that reveal poignant aspects of Paulina’s story, creating a deep emotional connection with a heroine who’s a fighter in more than one sense."―The New York Times

"The illustrations shine...with gorgeous, intricate scenes of Paulina's home life and training, thoughtful portraits of each character, and little treats such as boxing gloves arranged in a heart. ...a beautiful and unusual tale of family and strength."―Kirkus Reviews

"Elegant and melancholic, Courgeon’s posterlike images suit the mood of a story whose subtle details (of her father, a Russian miner turned cab driver: “Feather could see how tired he really was”) create an intimate connection between readers and a girl who forges her own path."―Publishers Weekly

"...this is a picture book about a girl who learns to fight and stand up for herself and who earns the respect of the men in her life. Yet to describe it thus, in hackneyed terms of female empowerment, is to overlook the gentle power and intelligence of this particular telling. Paulina’s triumph is distinctive, personal and refined. Mr. Courgeon’s shaggy prints (see left), meanwhile, are composed in a striking way that now and then brings to mind the work of Matisse."―Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal